Artificial limb.



M. MICHAJLOV.

ARTIFICIAL LIME.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1916.

Patented Feb. 13, 19 17.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

June for,

M. MICHAJLOV. ARTIFICIAL ume. APPLICATION FILED JULY [9, I916.

Patented Feb. '13, 191?.

m M c o n 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Eilorrikl.

'proved universal ball and socket joint bescribed in connection with TA EICEAJLOV, OF NEW YORK, H. E.

Patented Feb. 13, 191%.

Application filed m 19, 1am. Serial no. naaao.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MITA MIGHAJLOV, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact specification. p

This invention relates to artificial limbs, and has for one object to provide an improved foot structure which will operate more naturally than previous constructions.

- Another object is to provide improved cushuoning means in the upper part of the limb, to revent the chafing of the stump.

pecial objects are to provide an imtween the foot and ankle portions of the limb, to improve the action of the toe portion of the foot, and to provide improved means for limiting the upward movement of the front portion of the foot with respect to the ankle section, said means'being adjustable to suit difl'erent requirements. Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be first hereinafter dethe accompanying drawings which constitute part of this specification and then more specifically delined in the claims at the end of the descrip- In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of an artificial limb constructed substantially in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed plan view of the I-shaped plate to which is attached the adjustable means for limiting the swinging of the foot upon the ankle section.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the foot section alone.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the upper portion of the artificial limb, taken on the line 1 1- 471 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 7 and 8 are detailed views of the ball member of the ball and socket joint between the foot and ankle sections.

Fig. 9 is a detailed plan view of the tongued washer late which is fastened to the upper face oi the foot section and constitutes a part of the adjusting means for limiting the swing of said foot section, and

Fig. 10 is a broken detailed view of the screw-threaded portion of said adjustin means.

The artificial limb comprises a top section 1, an ankle section 2 and a foot section 3. The sections 1 and 2 are telescoped the former into the latter, said section 1 having a reduced portion 4 fitting within the section 2, and said section 2 being partially cut away internally around its upper end to form a thin wall 5 surrounding the section 1. This construction provides shoulders or ledges 4 and 5 on the sections 1 and 2, respectively, for limiting the downward movement of the section 1 within the section 2.

Metal straps 6 are attached as at 7 to the inner surface of the section 2, which is hollow as clearly illustrated in the drawings. There are two of these straps 6, one being arranged on each side of the limb and extending upward along the section 1, being seated in grooves formed in the outer surface of said section 1. Near the lower end of each. strap 6 a tongue 8 is cut therefrom and bent inward as shown in Fig. 6. The reduced portion 4 of the section 1 is provided with slots 8 to receive said tongues 8 and coiled springs 11 which have their lower ends engaged with said tongue. The upper ends of said springs engage downwardly projecting tongues 10 on lates 9 secured to the outer face of the sectlon 1 at the upper ends of the slots 8. These springs serve to cushion the downward movement of the section 1 within the section 2 'as the weight of the body is placed upon said section 1 by the wearer in the act of walking.

The lower end portion of the section 2 is solid as at 12, except for certain passages formed therein for purposes hereinafter explained. In the bottom of this solid portion 12 a substantially semispherical cavity 13 is formed and fitted with a correspondingly shaped bearing plate 14.. The foot section 3 has a corresponding substantially semispherical cavity15 in its upper face fitted with a similar bearing plate 16. Between said bearing plates there is fitted a ball 17 preferably provided with a central cavity 18 opening at the top and normally closed by a cap 24. U-shaped rods 21 and 22 have nuts 26 arranged in cavities 27. The legs their horizontal dportions fitted in passages 19 and-20 forme diametrically through the ball 17 at right angles to each other, as shown in Fi s. 1, 7 and 8. The horizontal portion' of t e u-shaped rod 21 may be notched, as at 23, where it straddles a horizontal'portion of the U-shaped rod 22 taprovide a better bearing between said rods. The legs of the U-shaped rod 21 are assed through the foot sect1on-3 and fitte -w1th of the other U-shaped rod 22 extend upward through the solid portion 12 of the section 2 and are secured by nuts 28. The rods 21 and 22 may be passed through the passages 19 and 20 in the ball 17 whi e straight, and their ends and the notched portion 23 bent into proper form afterward. This structure constltutes a universal ball and socket joint between the ankle and foot sections permitting said foot section to swing laterally as well as longitudinally on the ankle section. The lateral movement is limited by a pair of rubber stops 61, Fi 5, while the longitudinal movement is imited by other devices which will be presently described.

The foot section is provided with a toe portion 29 pivoted thereto at 30, and in the bottom of said toe ortion there is a cavity.

of groove 31 in which one end of a cord 34 is secured by a knot 36 in the cord held by a staple 37, Fig. 1.- Said cord, which is preferably made of non-stretching catgut,

' extends up through a passage 32 in the foot section and a communicating passage 33 'in the lower end of the ankle section, the

in the passage 32 in the foot section and is' connected at its opposite ends to hooks 38 and 39 fastened respectively to the toe portion 29 and the ankle section for yieldingly holding the parts in the natural normal positions illustrated in. Fig. 1. The hook 39 preferably has a shank extending through the solid portion 12 of the section 2 and is held by a nut 40 screwed onto the upper end of said shank and engaging the top of said solid portion .12.

The solid ortion 12 of the section 2 is also provided with a passage 42 in the rear portion thereof, and in this passage is arranged a flexible means 46 having a loop at its Upper end engaging the reduced central portion 45 of an I-shaped plate 43 fastened as at 44, Fig. 4, to the top of the solid portion 12 over the passage 42. The lower end of the flexible means 46 has rigidly connected thereto an externally screw threaded cylindrical member 47, the screw threads being indicated at 48, Fig. 10. Said member 47 has longitudinal grooves 49 which are engaged by tongues 51 on a plate 50 secured to the top of the foot section and through which the member 47 is loosely passed. Below said plate 50, an adjusting cap 53 is loosely fitted in a suitable bore in the heel.

ortion of the foot section. Said cap is internally threaded, as at 57, to engage the external threads 48 on the member 47, and has a flange 54 and wrench surface 56 located in a cavity 55 in the bottom of the foot section, whereby the length of the flexible means 46 may be adjusted to suit requirements and thereby regulate the longitudinal swing as well as the proper position of the leg and of the foot section on the ankle section. It will be observed that the tongues 51 on the plate 50 serve to prevent the flexible means 46 and member 47 from turnin with the cap 53, thus insuring a longitu inal movement of said flexible -means when the cap is turned. As illustrated in Fig. 1, if desired, the cavities 27 and 55 in the bottom of the foot section may be covered by a sole plate 58 ofany suitable material, and the cavity or groove 31 in the bottom of the toe portion-29 similarly covered by Fig. 1.

It will thus be seen, that I have provided an artificial limb, as near to the human, as

a piece of suitable material-59,

has yet been devised, for I have rovided a limb, that will yield in any direction, and to the comfort of a wearer, and it will, also, be noted, that I have provided a limb smooth on the exterior, because of the provision I have made, to put and place all the mechanism on the inside or hollow part of the upper limb, which, also, enables me to make a limb much lighter and neater in appearance, and each limb, because thereof is adapted to any length stump.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an artificial limb, the combination with two sections telescopically arranged wlt'h the end of one within the end of the other, of straps of metal arranged in grooves in the outer face of the upper member and secured to the lower section, upwardly extending tongues on the straps, plates fastened to the upper section and having downwardly extending tongues arranged in line with the tongues on the straps, coiled cushionmg springs engaging said upwardly and downwardly extending tongues, and means to limit'the movement of one section within the other.

2. In an artificial limb, the combination with a lower section, of an upper section having its lower end telescopically fitted in the upper end of the lower section and provided with vertical'slots therein, metal straps loosely fitted in grooves in the outer face of the upper member and secured at their lower ends to the lower member, a tongue integral with each of said straps and bent to lie in one of the slots in the upper section, opposed lugs secured to the upper section and arranged in line with the tongues on the straps, said lugs also lying in said slots, and coiled springs engaged with said lugs and tongues for cushioning the inward movement of the uppersection in the lower section.

3. In an artificial limb, the combination with an ankle section, of a foot section, each having opposed semi-spherical cavities therein, a ball arranged in said cavities, a U- shapedrod passed diametrically through said ball and pivotally connecting the same to the ankle section, and an inverted U- shaped rod passed diametrically through the ball at right angles to the other rod and pivotally connecting said ball to the foot section, whereby the foot and ankle sections are connected together by a universal joint.

4. In an artificial joint, the combination with an ankle section, of a foot section, each havin opposed semi-spherical cavities therein, a all arranged in said cavities, a

U-shaped rod passed diametrically through I said ball and pivotally connecting the same to the ankle section, and an inverted U- shaped rod passed diametrically through the ball at right angles to the other rod and pivotally connecting said ball to the foot section, whereby the foot and ankle sections are provided with a universal connection, one of said rods being notched to pass the other rod throu h the center of the ball.

5. In an arti cial limb, the combination with an ankle section, of a foot section, each having opposed semi-spherical cavities therein, a ball arranged in said cavities, a U-shaped rod passed diametrically through said ball and pivotally connecting the same to the ankle section, and an inverted U- shaped rod passed through the center of the ball at right angles to the other rod and pivotally connecting said ball to the foot section, whereby the foot and ankle sections are provided with a universal connection, one of said rods being notched to pass the other rod at the center of the ball, and said ball having a cavity in the center and opening on the surface thereof for permitting the formation of said notch after the rod is passed through the ball.

6. In an artificial limb, the combination with an ankle section, of a foot section pivoted thereto, a toe portion pivoted to the foot section, resilient means for holding the foot section with its toe portion in normal position with relation to the ankle section, and non-stretching means of connection between the toe portion and the ankle section for limiting the movement of the toe portion on the foot section without relative movement between the foot and ankle sections.

7. In an artificial limb, the combination with an ankle section, of a foot section pivoted thereto, a toe portion pivoted to the foot section, a coiled spring connected at opposite ends to the ankle section and to the toe portion, and a non-stretching cord connected at opposite ends to the ankle section and to the toe portion and passed through the coiled spring, for the purpose specified.

8. In an artificial limb, the combination with an ankle section, of a foot section pivoted thereto, a flexible connection secured to the ankle section, a screw-threaded member attached to said flexible connection and having a longitudinal groove therein, a cap carried by the foot portion and threaded to engage the threaded member for varying the length of said member for the purpose specified, and a plate fitted loosely. around the threaded member secured to the foot section, said plate having a tongue engaging the groove in said member to prevent rotation of the latter.

9. In an artificial limb, the combination with an ankle section, of a foot section pivoted thereto, an I-shaped plate secured to the ankle section, a flexible connection having a loop at its upper end engaging the reduced central portion of said I-shaped plate, a screw-threaded member attached to said flexible connection and a cap carried by the foot portion and threaded to engage the threaded member for varying the length of said rod for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

liHTA MICHAJLOV. 

